Mailbox signal



June 13, 1967 c. A. HOFFMAN ETAL 3,325,092

MAILBOX SIGNAL Filed Sept. 28. 1964 I NVENTORS CORNELIUS A. HOFFMAN /5 24 RAYMOND A. FREYLl/VG United States Patent 3,325,092 MAILBOX SIGNAL Cornelius A. Hoffman, 4080 Mohawk, and Raymond A. Freyling, 3840 Bruce, both of Grandville, Mich. 49418 Filed Sept. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 412,892 3 Claims. (Cl. 232-35) This invention relates to the construction of signal devices used in conjunction with conventional mailboxes of the type installed along rural delivery routes. A standard mailbox is usually equipped with a flag that may be set in elevated position when items are placed in the box to be picked up by the postman. This flag is not operated by the postman to indicate the presence of mail left on delivery. The postman cannot take the time for this sort of manipulation, and is usually forbidden by his regulations from doing so. It is desirable to equip the mailbox with some sort of signal to indicate to the owner of the box that mail has been left there for him, and this signal must be operated automatically so as not to require the attention of the postman. Many devices have been constructed for this purpose, most of them operating on the principle that the opening of the door of the mailbox trips a mechanism positioning a signal member. The present invention is of this type, and is distinguished by its economy and ease of installation. The several features of the invention will be analyzed in detail through a discussion of the particular embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a mailbox equipped with a signal device embodying this invention, with the mailbox in the closed position, and the device set for operation.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the change in position of the device on the opening of the door of the mailbox by the postman for the insertion of delivered mail.

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the'device as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the device as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the designated portion of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing, the illlustrated standard mailbox includes a container and a door 11. The door is hinged usually to the lower front of the container 10 as shown at 12. The spring members 13 and 14 are secured to the container and the door, respectively, to form a latch. The container thus far described is entirely conventional.

A preferably Z-shaped arm 15 has a mounting portion 16 traversng the wall 17 of the container 10, and the mounting portion 16 terminates in a threaded section 18 engaged by the pair of nuts 19 and 20 disposed on opposite sides of the wall 17. The arm 15 also has a normally horizontal journal portion 21 pivotally engaging the tabs 22 and 23 of the signal member 24. The signal member is in the form of a plate 25 having the silhouette of the well-known caricature of Uncle Sam, with the tabs 22 and 23 disposed perpendicularly to the plate. The signal member is located axially on the journal portion 21 by the presence of the U-shaped clip 26, which has spaced legs engaging correspondingly spaced holes in the journal portion 21 on opposite sides of the tab 22. This securing an rangement is easy to install, and the device can be marketed as a kit in separate pieces, with the installation being made by the purchaser.

The cover 11 of the mailbox is provided with a support member 27 secured to the side in a position to extend laterally, and horizontally opposite from the journal portion 21. The member 27 will normally be installed in a suitable hole drilled in the side of the cover 11, and is preferably a screw receiving a nut 28. The rounded head of the screw will normally not interfere with the closing of the door 11, and will be received within the clearance space between the side flange 29 of the cover and the wall 17 of the container, possibly accompanied by some slight deflection. If the screw is installed in the arcuate portion of the door, it may be bent into a horizontal position after installation.

When the door of the mailbox is swung outward, as indicated in FIGURE 2, the supporting member 27 moves out from under the portion 30 of the signal member 24, and the position of the center of gravity of the signal member 24 is sufficiently displaced to the right of the journal portion 21 (as shown in FIGURE 1) to cause the signal member to swing downward into the vertical position of FIGURE 2, where it is intercepted by the section of the arm generally indcated at 31. When the postman inserts mail in the container 10 and restores the door 11 to closed position, the signal member 24 remains in the FIGURE 2 position to indicate that mail has been delivered. When the owner of the box again opens the door 11 and picks up his mail, he restores the signal unit to the FIGURE 1 position before closing the door. The device is then ready for the succeeding operation.

The particular embodiments of the present invention which have been illustrated and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be considered as a limitation upon the scope of the appended claims. In these claims, it is our intent to claim the entire invention disclosed herein, except as we are limited by the prior art.

We claim:

1. In combination with a mailbox having a container and a door hinged to said container at one end thereof, a signal device comprising:

an arm having a Z-shaped configuration with a normally horizontal journal portion, a portion extending normally downward from said journal portion, and a mounting portion normally secured to said container;

a support member normally secured to said door and extending laterally therefrom at a position substantially horizontally aligned with said journal portion when said door assumes a closed position;

a signal member pivotally mounted on said journal portion, said signal member having the center of gravity thereof displaced a constant distance from the axis of pivotal mounting of said signal member, and having a portion adapted to rest upon said support member extending from said axis a distance greater than the distance from said axis to said support member at the closed position of said door, the distance said portion of said signal member extends from said axis being less than the maximum distance between said axis and said support member during the opening movement of said door, said signal member being intercepted by a portion of said arm in a substantially vertical position of said signal member.

2. A signal device as defined in claim 1, wherein said mounting portion has a threaded end traversing a wall of said container, and has a pair of nuts disposed one on each side of said wall.

3. A signal device as defined in claim 1, wherein sai signal member is in the form of a plate having tabs normal to said plate, said tabs being provided with holes engaging said journal portion, and wherein said journal portion has a pair of axially spaced holes, and a locating clip normally traversing said holes and embracing one of said tabs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Smith 248291 Carlin 248249 Nordin 232-35 Bishop 211--181 Black 232-35 Doppelhammer 232-35 Hubbard 108-134 Mancuso 23235 Kopp 23235' DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, FRANK B. SHERRY,

Examiners. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A MAILBOX HAVING A CONTAINER AND A DOOR HINGED TO SAID CONTAINER AT ONE END THEREOF, A SIGNAL DEVICE COMPRISING: AN ARM HAVING A Z-SHAPED CONFIGURATION WITH A NORMALLY HORIZONTAL JOURNAL PORTION, A PORTION EXTENDING NORMALLY DOWNWARD FROM SAID JOURNAL PORTION, AND A MOUNTING PORTION NORMALLY SECURED TO SAID CONTAINER; A SUPPORT MEMBER NORMALLY SECURED TO SAID DOOR AND EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREFROM AT A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALLY ALIGNED WITH SAID JOURNAL PORTION WHEN SAID DOOR ASSUMES A CLOSED POSITION; A SIGNAL MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID JOURNAL PORTION, SAID SIGNAL MEMBER HAVING THE CENTER OF GRAVITY THEREOF DISPLACED A CONSTANT DISTANCE FROM THE AXIS OF PIVOTAL MOUNTING OF SAID SIGNAL MEMBER, AND HAVING A PORTION ADAPTED TO REST UPON SAID SUPPORT MEMBER EXTENDING FROM SAID AXIS A DISTANCE GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE FROM SAID AXIS TO SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AT THE CLOSED POSITION OF SAID DOOR, THE DISTANCE SAID PORTION OF SAID SIGNAL MEMBER EXTENDS FROM SAID AXIS BEING LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID AXIS AND SAID SUPPORT MEMBER DURING THE OPENING MOVEMENT OF SAID DOOR, SAID SIGNAL MEMBERING BEING INTERCEPTED BY A PORTION OF SAID ARM IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL POSITION OF SAID SIGNAL MEMBER. 